Portuguese cuisine

Portuguese cuisine – at the continent’s western coast Portugal is the country of many discoverers and descendants of sailors. Its modern cuisine has been shaped by invaders from one side (Romans and Arabs) and exotic spices brought from the expeditions to the New World. The dishes that are presented on Portuguese tables are connected by a simplicity of flavours and of exotic spices. The Romans brought garlic into the Portuguese cuisine; the Arabs, on the other hand, have given them rice, almond trees, citrus groves, dates and peaches.

Green soup, green wine In the north caldo verde is famous. It’s a green soup – an internationally renowned Portuguese dish, with cabbage leaves called couve gallega. To accompany the green soup there’s vino verde, a fresh green wine perfect for warm summer nights. If we add corn bread to it, called broa de milho, and the world-famous savoury chorizo sausages, we’ll get a perfect meal for gourmets longing for novelties.

 

Where the cork oaks grow In the south of the country there are two provinces: Alentejo and Algarve. This is a really picturesque part of Portugal: with vast plains where you can see cork oaks, olive and citrus groves, where they breed a special type of pig fed on acorns. At a culinary visit to Alentejo you must try Carne de Porco à Alentejana, a famous Portuguese dish - pork sautéed in wine with coriander and onions and served with mussels.

Fruit is the trademark of the sunny south of Portugal and the Portuguese very often use fruit in their dishes. Those with a sweet tooth should try almond paste sweets, called Dom Rodrigo and morgado - white sugar puffs, filled with a fluffy almond cream. Adults can enjoy brandymel – the local honey brandy.

On the sub-tropical islands It is also worth remembering the islands of Portugal, such as the Azores and Madera. Their specialty is meat, especially a beef which is uncommon on the continent. Local specialties are cozido à Furnas - a mixture of various meats and vegetables which are steamed in furnaces buried in the ground and morcela. 

Local speciality The most famous dish in the Portuguese cuisine is considered to be Bacalhau, which is dried and salted cod, prepared in many different ways. There is a tradition that the Portuguese have as many recipes for preparing it as there are days in a year, i.e. 365! At the top there are recipes with broccoli, corn, onion, pepper, cauliflower or peas.

 

A very long time ago a pilgrim was accused unjustly of a murder, and was being tried by a judge who was eating a rooster while reaching the verdict. So at the defence’s speech the pilgrim said that if he’s innocent, the rooster should come to life: the rooster got up, crowed and the pilgrim got acquitted. After that incredible event the cockerel became the country’s symbol, being placed on postcards and stamps. 

Vegetables in the Portuguese cuisine

More than fresh vegetable salads, the Portuguese prefer dishes made from steamed, cooked or baked vegetables in combination with meat, fish or seafood. If you are hungry in Portugal, you reach for vegetables. They are often a base for the dishes, but quite as often they complement meat of fish dishes. Vegetables turn a dish into a nutritious and rich meal. We cannot forget feijoada. It is based mainly on beans, meat and other vegetables.

Tomatoes also play an important part in the Portuguese cuisine, so much so that in many other national cuisines, to cook dishes ‘the Portuguese way’ is to make them with tomatoes.